The Intricacies of Intimacy
by Frustration At Its Finest
Summary: A collection of various oneshots revolving around Soul and Maka. Expect to see a bit of everything. The ratings will range between K and M, and each one will be labeled accordingly in the note at the top.(Updated 11/5/13)
1. Seeing Sound

**Note:The song that inspired this was Milk and Black Spiders by Foals. It's pretty incredible, and suited these two well in my opinion. As always, Soul Eater is the property of Atsushi Okubo, and I am only borrowing his world. I do not own the song Milk and Black Spiders, only the emotions it evokes within me and the story that was inspired by it. This is rated T for minor sensuality.**

* * *

It's mind boggling, when he really takes a moment to think about it. There is another soul on this earth, that somehow he found, that can read him so fluently, sees him so clearly and loves him anyway. She can read him by a simple expression, feels the way his soul flutters uncomfortably when others mention 'family' around him. She offers a comforting smile, a gentle squeeze of his hand. She steadies him even without the use of words. They've made language obsolete, and maybe it's evolution in its finest form, or perhaps they're reverting back to the ways things were at the beginning of time, but it doesn't really matter, it's incredible either way.

Though, he has to give himself a little bit of credit.

He can read her just as well.

He can see it on her face, the way her jaw clenches after a particularly brutal fight, hears the tightness in her throat as she tries to laugh off just how close they had been to never taking another breath of this world's air. She never wants to seem too shaken. She's a strong girl, she chose the path of her life all on her own and knew full well how dangerous it would be. It's stated clearly on the registration forms for DWMA, likelihood of a meister or weapon getting seriously injured or killed was incredibly high. She read the words, understood them perfectly, and barreled forward anyway. She was strong, she could handle this, she wouldn't die and neither would her weapon. If she did die, it would be a peaceful death, she would know she did all she could in this life. That is what she told herself.

But when facing your death, or the death of someone you love, logic does not exist. You don't think your way out of how terrified you are, you don't put on a brave face. The first few moments are absolute terror, and composing yourself after is next to impossible.

She does her best though.

Keeps her voice neutral, walks at a steady pace. She's almost good enough at faking, everyone else believes her.

He can see though.

They recline on their couch after patching up each other's wounds, and he can see the way her fingers curl into fists, her brow remaining unnaturally still, eyes unfocused and glassy.

"Maka."

She flinches.

"Mm?" At this point, he realizes that words aren't needed for this moment, simply human connection. He takes a clenched fist, gently unfurls her fingers one by one, placing a kiss on the pad of each digit as it is pulled from its hiding place in her palm. The tendons in her hand twitch, hand shaking slightly, and he knows, he almost has her, she's almost let down the barrier. He places a feather light kiss on her pulse in her wrist, and he can see it jump beneath her skin. He traces her trail of veins up to the crook of her arm with his lips, his hands curled around hers. Her body trembles slightly, and he knows she's almost free. A gentle bite to her throat, and she sucks in a harsh breath, she hasn't quite let go yet, but he knows it won't take much more.

It's a simple press of his lips to her forehead that unravels her.

It's a gradual process, it starts with a single tear , but after that comes another, then two more right after, and soon she's crying hard, biting her lip to stifle sobs. He doesn't know why she always tries so hard to put on a brave face for him, he's here because he wants to know of her thoughts, and how she feels, and he wants to be the thing in her life that brings her comfort when her worst fears terrorize her mind. He pulls her tight against his chest, and he feels it, _finally,_ she's finally let go, crying hard, expelling the pent up pain, and anger, and fear that she's been burdened with. Tears of joy leak from him silently.

It isn't as if he enjoys seeing her in pain, but he's so insanely honored. Honored that he is the only person in the world who has ever seen her in such an honest state. Words are not necessary.

He strokes her hair, and cries with her, until they are so emotionally drained that they fall asleep. When he dreams, there is only music without words, and Maka stands beside him entirely bare, smiling so truthfully, her emotions clear as day. She loves him, she's thankful for him, she _trusts him most._ That knowledge makes him feel as if he has worth, because if someone as incredible as Maka loves him and trusts him, well then maybe he isn't as worthless as he thought.

The quiet hum of their resonance fills their living room as they sleep, and Maka curls closer to her weapon, a dreamy smile playing at her lips. Though words and language have always intrigued her, nonverbal communication is far superior. Soul's dream self smiles back at her, and they both know that for the moment, things are just as they should be.


	2. Implications

**Note: This is kind of short, but the song Milk and Black Spiders will not get out of my head. So here we go. As always, I do not own Soul Eater, it belongs to Atsushi Okubo. I do not own the song Milk and Black Spiders, it belongs to Foals. This will be my new place for drabbles and oneshots.**

* * *

She's never been one to actually seek out music. It doesn't resonate with her the way that art or literature do. But once in a while, she can hear something pleasant sounding leaking into the living room from Soul's cracked bedroom door. She never asks who it is, or asks the name of the song. It never interests her enough to make the effort.

She's cutting carrots when she first hears it. It starts with strange, bloated electronic static. The frequency is low enough, she can vaguely feel it in her chest, but it does not hurt her ears. Then a tinkling of notes that remind her of rain in a dream float through the swirling dust moats, past their dormant television set, into her ears. A faint smile twitches on her lips. The low percussion thumps in time with her switching hips, or maybe it is her hips that switch in time with the thumps.

A different kind of quiet static starts, then a serene, melancholy voice, speaking words she cannot hear, but can feel the emotion of. A trilling of what she imagines beams of sun would sound like, and a snap.. snap.. snap.. snap. Her head nods to the beat just a bit, hips still swishing slightly. The tension in the song builds, and builds, and breaks into this explosion of black, insanity, sunlight, dreams, rain, her friends, her family, her partner. Her everythings and everyones swirl around her with the sounds, she feels overwhelmed yet perfectly at peace. She's full on swaying with the waves now, eyes closed and ears open.

"You think you kind of know what I mean now?" His hands slip around her middle, but he makes no move to stop her motions, simply sways with her. Yes, she thinks she gets it now, not entirely, but enough.

"It's.. it's so much for something so little, you know?" Her eyes are still closed, a radiant smile on her face.

"Yeah.." Cause what else needs to be said? The music speaks for itself, and then speaks for you as well. There's nothing quite like a song that can enrapture your soul. She realizes now what she loves so much about the way he plays.


	3. Home

Note: I do not own Soul Eater or any of it's characters, those rights belong to Atsushi Okubo. This was kind of sort of written for a wonderful friend of mine, who inadvertently helped get me out of my writer's block.

This is rated M for sexuality. If you are not okay with that, please proceed no further. Otherwise, enjoy!

* * *

Nostalgia hits him hard enough to make him stumble a bit over his own feet, standing in a patch of sunlight in the forest from his childhood, listening to all the music of the animals and wind whistling through the trees and smiling in remembrance. It's a wonderful feeling of déjà vu, bringing a smile to his lips. He turns to Maka to ask her something, but the words catch in his throat before he can utter a syllable.

Her leaf green eyes are wide and full of wonder, glittering from the way the gentle breeze makes her eyes water, but unable to close them. She doesn't want to miss a single moment, each minuscule detail being taken in by her curious senses. Her mouth hangs slightly agape in awe, head whipping this way and that, trying to see everything all at once.

She's never been to a place like this before. She grew up in the desert, and though they've had a few missions in the woods before, she never got to enjoy it this way…

She's never felt so incredibly comfortable, so joyous. This place, this person here with her, they're exactly what she needs to find euphoria, the hum of the forest thrumming through her veins, her soul comfortably embraced with Soul's. A beautiful smile sneaks onto her face, and she giggles, spreads her arms out and twirls in place a few times before toppling onto her backside into soft moss, grabbing Soul by his wrist and pulling him down atop her just as she tips. He yelps as they fall, but she just laughs more, pulling him closer to her, her fingers combing through his thick snowy hair, and he sighs contently into the silken skin of her throat. This feeling he has is so familiar, yet so different.. he feels like a child once more, but he still has the knowledge he's gained over the years and the companion he was lucky enough to meet.. A girl he trusts with any and all things..

"This place… reminds me of when I was kid." His cheeks flush at the admission, but she just keeps playing with his hair with one hand, stroking his back with the other.

"Really? Did you go camping a lot when you were younger?" she asks softly, her hushed voice blending effortlessly with the rustling leaves on the tree boughs. He breathes deeply, lips pressed to her pulse as he thinks over how to answer her. He takes a deep breath through his nose, appreciating the sweet scent of strawberry that emanates from her skin before he speaks.

"Not… not really camping. But when I was younger, Wes and I would always run into the woods behind our house and uh, jesus this sounds stupid, we'd play hide and seek and stuff. I always hid behind the same blackberry bush though.. Hah, mom would get so pissed, we'd come back with dirt all over and grassy stains on our pants. Hah… sometimes we would forget we had blackberries in our pockets. Mom got so mad when we dyed her sundress pink by accident," he chuckles, eyes twinkling with mirth. She smiles faintly, shimmying downward until they are forehead to forehead, their noses brushing lightly. She kisses him lightly and pulls back, a silent prompt for him to keep talking, she loves it when he speaks with such emotion in his throat. His arms tighten around her slightly, his chest flush against hers as their legs tangle lazily. "I remember… haha, Wes told me there were faeries that lived in the grass one day. It started raining really hard and we hid inside this giant dead tree, and he said that the faeries must be having a sprinkler party," he laughs, blushing bright in embarrassment. "I was so mad at him, cause he always tried to play tricks on me like that, but when I really thought about it.. I mean, it was possible, right? Why not? Of course I figured out he was kind of lying, but on the way back home that day I made him carry me home on his back cause I didn't want to step on Violet's wedding…"

He's so close to her, but his eyes are glassy and there's a faraway look in them. He blinks once, then several times and looks back into her eyes, only to flush and bury his face in her shoulder. She can feel the heat from his cheeks radiate through her clothes into her skin, and she chuckles, fingers circling his temples until the tension falls from him, body going slack in her arms.

"Violet..?"

"Faerie warrior princess or something. I didn't wanna spoil her day, ya know? Wes had to tip toe home but it was totally worth it. We saw a rainbow on the way back, and I thought she made it for us. Kinda stupid, huh?" he mumbles into her neck, and she shivers slightly from the way his breath dances across her skin. Her fingers curl into his hair and she giggles, feeling his scowl against her.

"It's not stupid Soul, it's cute. "

He groans, burrowing further into her shirt and sighing. She's ridiculous, really.

But he'd be lying if he said he doesn't feel the best he has in **_years._** They lay together without speaking for a while, listening to the harmony of their heartbeats and breath, birds twittering and leaves rustling in the wind. The sun bakes their skin delicately, warming them comfortably, and they soak it in happily.

It's Maka who breaks their silence.

"Let's stay. Build a tree house and live in it." Soul almost chokes on nothingness, absolutely dumbstruck by her suggestion. It's not that simple, he wants to tell her, but the way she looks at him, so hopeful, genuine, absolutely adoring, it makes the words catch in his throat. Instead, what comes out is…

"I… I always wanted a tree house… "

And she kisses him, fingers tight in his hair, lips soft and warm against his, her tongue peeking out shyly to meet his. He flips them over, so he hovers over her body, his hands shielding her skull from the ground, thumbs stroking the spots right beneath her ears. She shudders and moans, pulling his mouth to hers once more, lips far more urgent than they had been only a moment ago. Snapshots of them sleeping in the trees, watching the stars flutter by on the insides of her eyelids, and she gasps when an image of the two of them connected in every way flashes through her mind, so vivid she can almost feel him. Soul is mouthing at her neck, gently nudging the strap of her yellow sundress off her shoulder, when she stops him, panting like she'd just run a marathon. He pulls away from her immediately, afraid that he had crossed some kind of line. Maybe she wasn't comfortable with doing these things outside? Maybe she-

Oh.

She flips them over so she is straddling his hips, pulling her dress up and off her body painfully slowly, reveling in his heated gaze once she's bared herself to him almost entirely excluding her tiny cotton panties. She leans down so her lips are hardly an inch from his, grinning like a fool, and he returns the grin before capturing her lips once more, hands exploring the skin of her stomach, waist, her back, every bit of her he can reach. Her hips rock against his lightly, but he grips them and stops her. He takes off his button up shirt and lays it out beside him, then lays her down on it on her back, kissing the wrist of the hand she's given him. From the inside of her wrist, his lips move to the crook of her elbow, and she squirms, thighs pressing together tightly and eyes screwing shut. He presses a smiling kiss into her collarbone, and watches as goose bumps spread across her skin. Her hands smooth over his back, nails biting in slightly every once in a while when he nibbles at particularly sensitive flesh. Their little gasps melt into the air, twining together, and then dispersing into the music of their surroundings. Their souls thrum quietly, the urge to meld together overwhelming.

But he won't allow it, not yet. He wants to taste her sun kissed skin first, see the way the depths of her colourful eyes increases tenfold in natural light.

So he kisses her, on her lips, and chest, her stomach, thighs, hips, the skin the covers her ribs, everywhere she'll let him, and she shudders beneath his touch. When he kisses her just below her naval, she moans outright, tugging him upwards by his hair so their lips can meet, tongues tangling languidly, hips rocking together at a slow pace. She runs her hands down his torso, fingers drifting toward old scar tissue, her touch making him shiver. Their chests heave in time with each other, and she takes his face between her hands, looks into his eyes and tells him,

"We're home." And for some reason, it just grasps his heart like a vice. They shed what remains of their clothes, giggling as their limbs get caught in cumbersome fabric, kissing all the while, and when he finally pushes into her, they both gasp, and sigh into the warm breeze, his body covering hers and her arms and legs wrapped around him. For the longest time, they just lay there together on the soft ground, until Maka leans upward, pushing Soul onto his back and grinding her hips down. The leaves on the ground beneath him crackle and crunch, poking into his skin uncomfortably, but with another thrust of their hips he forgets the leaves, instead focusing on the way her skin shimmers with a sheen of sweat, hair shining gold in the filtered sunlight, heavy lidded eyes the colour of dark moss. She was right, they are home, _this_ is what home truly is, here with her in their most natural state, souls and bodies entwined. He isn't sure what to name the feeling that's blossoming in their joined souls. Euphoria? No, euphoria is short lived…

Absolute contentment.

A feeling of being whole that nothing will ever be able to take away from him. Not with her around.

He presses his fingers right above her core, and she cries out his name in a way that makes his entire body shake. He can feel the way her soul coils tighter and tighter around his, clinging desperately. It takes so little for them to release, but when they do, it is together, quivering and moaning, kissing and nuzzling at each other. When Maka comes down from her high, she topples over to the side of him, cuddling into his torso, idly sifting through his hair and picking out dead leaves and twigs. He grunts when she shows him her findings, and she can't contain her giggles. He just scoffs, kissing her forehead, sighing happily when he feels her eyelashes brush his cheekbone.

Home, huh?

Yeah. He could get used to this.


	4. Secret Place

Okay, so this is a little continuation of the last chapter, 'Home', cause I really love nature alright? I may explore this idea more at a later date is it seems that you guys are enjoying it.

Note:I do not own Soul Eater or an of it's characters, those rights belong to Atsushi Okubo. Rated M for some sexuality. Look no further if that offends you. Otherwise, please enjoy!

* * *

They had been going there for months before they even came across it.

All of their attention had been so focused on constructing their little makeshift home in the sky that they hadn't spent all too much time exploring. But lazy days were bound to happen, and when they did, Soul and Maka would pack up some survival gear in their knapsacks and set out deeper into the woods, choosing a direction at random and walking until they found a stop too beautiful to pass without observing. Usually, they found little clearings filled with purple wildflowers and tiger lilies, much to their delight, but on this particular day, Soul hears their destination before they see it.

The spattering of moving water hitting the still is fairly distant, but loud enough that he can hear the direction. Off to their left, he's sure of it.

"Maka, this way!" And he grasps her by her hand and practically runs to the sounds, eye's crinkled at the corners from how wide he's smiling, and Maka, she's so confused but his joy is so radiant that she can't bring herself to question it at the moment, only follow.

It only takes about a minute for her to see what he is so excited about.

They stumble from the thick brush onto a lovely overlook which perches right above a watering hole, and in front of them there is a gorgeous waterfall, the kind that kicks up mist so fine that the light reflects rainbows within it. A delighted gasp tumbles from her, and he sighs happily. He hadn't ever gone this far out as a kid, and for some reason it makes him very happy. He's glad that his first time ever being here is with Maka.

"Oh my god… It's.. wow. How did you know, Soul..?" He looks at her beside him, eyes wider than they had been the first time he took her into this forest, and he just wants to kiss her. So he does, eyes crossing as he tries to look at her while their lips are touching, laughing into her mouth when she opens her eyes and they immediately cross as well, tasting her giggles that she caught from him. Her teeth are on his bottom lip because she just can't hold back her grin, and he gently bites her upper, feeling the way her body goes a bit slack in his arms before he pulls away from her slightly to put his forehead to hers, freeing his lips to give her an answer.

"I heard it… when our resonance is high I can hear clearer.. Ugh, that sounds fuckin weird doesn't it?" He mutters, and she just kisses his cheek, feeling the warm flush of bashfulness beneath her lips.

"I think it's really awesome, actually," she murmurs into his ear, teeth barely grazing the shell of it, and he shivers from her touch, her lips curved into a playful little grin against his throat now. She lifts onto her toes once more, getting close to his ear again and making his heart flutter. His stomach tightens, not at all unpleasantly, and his hypersensitive hearing just barely catches her whisper of, "Race you to the water."

Before he can even get his head on straight she's gone, giggling playfully and leaving a trail of clothes in her wake. He's just gotten his body to catch up to his brain, stumbling over his pants as he unbuckles them and tries to kick them and his flip flops off, watching her bare back getting closer and closer to the mist of colour and rays of sun. She looks absolutely radiant from where he stands, but he's sure the view is even better up close..

As soon as his legs are free he's clamoring after her, wondering just how in the hell she made it over all these rocks so quickly without tripping, and he almost tries to tear off his shirt, but thinks better of it when he nearly slips and falls because he wasn't paying attention the the ground beneath him. His feet slap against the cool stones, and he can't see her at the moment but god, he can feel her, her wavelength practically vibrating with her elation, excitement, anticipation of cool water and unbearably warm hands… His hands. That's enough for him to pick up his pace.

When she comes into view, she's pulling her panties off her leg to toss them beside the water, leaning over to look in, gauging the depth. Her back is to him, hair loose around her strong shoulders, barely reaching her lower back. She looks otherworldly, like those sirens he read about as a child, only she would prefer to drown him in her emerald gaze than anything else. Which is what she's doing right now, twisted toward him with her long hair draped over her breasts, eyes so deep they could swallow him whole, and he'd happily go without a fight. She blinks slowly, giving him a chance to take in the rest of her, her flushed, freckled cheeks, and lovely pink lips curved into a smile. Her long, smooth throat, and unblemished, blank canvas for him to paint upon in pinks and purples if she'll allow him.

But before he can observe any more, she's turned and jumped in, plunging with a tiny splash that wets his feet, and he tears his shirt over his head, tossing it off to the side and pushing his boxers to the ground, blushing madly because he's naked, and hard, and actually pretty fucking shy sometimes okay?

He quickly forgets his shyness though when she pops back above the surface of the water and smiles, skin glistening in the sun. Her eyes, heavy lidded and dark, lashes sparkling with little droplets of water, they beckon him forward, sing sweetly in his mind to _come closer, come here, come to_ _me_, and how could he ever refuse?

He eases into the water, cool but not freezing for which he and his junk are grateful, and Maka immediately grabs him by his wrist, pulling him closer to the colourful mist of the waterfall. She pulls him into a gentle stream of water, smoothing the falling water over his shoulders as it massages the knots out of his muscles. His breath flows from him in a quiet moan, one he did not think she would hear, but he can tell she does from the pang of arousal he feels in their link. He shudders and pulls her flush against him, chests pressed together, legs tangling in the shallow water. Goose bumps prickle his skin, and when he exhales a shuddery breath against her neck, the goose bumps spread to her skin as well, her nipples hard against him, his dick somehow hard against her thigh.

It's strange though. As excited as he is, he doesn't really want to act upon it. His senses are already on overdrive, the sounds and smells overwhelming enough on their own, not to mention her touch and the sight of her. A taste of her mouth is all he wants, it's greedy but he knows from their link that she welcomes it.

Her lips are soft and warm, open slightly and sweet from the blackberries she had picked on their way to this wonderland, and this is more than enough, his hands cradling her delicate face, her hands in his hair.

This is a memory he will hold dear to him until his passing, when everything came together perfectly, and together, they were enough.


	5. A Furry Little Whim

Note: Soul Eater is not mine, it belongs to one Atsushi Okubo and I doubt he will relinquish those rights any time soon. This is something I wrote for the lovely Odat(So sorry it's 800 years late dear). There's a cuss or two in here, so rated T to be safe I suppose. Enjoy the fluff!

* * *

Soul has always been adept at applying logic to a situation. While Maka can sometimes get lost in the emotions, he always does his best to be a voice of reason in times of insanity. In battle, it has gotten them out of quite a few terrible positions.

But sometimes when they aren't in battle, he needs to be reminded that they can act upon their whims and impulses every once in awhile, as long as it isn't a life or death situation.

This is the argument she makes when she drags him into the pet shop after catching him smiling affectionately at a teensy, tiny, tan baby bunny. Soul isn't convinced.

"Maka, we can't take care of another living thing right now, we have missions every week that last for days. Baby bunnies need a lot of care and attention. It'll be weeks before that little guy will even be able to eat on it's own."

Though she hears the seriousness of the words themselves, she can also hear the underlying affection when he is speaking of said adorable little animal. She wants him to get something he wants for once, she would make certain to care for their little companion plenty, give it attention and affection, and find it a responsible caretaker for whenever she and Soul are not around. The latter would prove much more difficult than the former, but what's life without a little challenge?

"Wait…. Soul! What about Blair?" Maka asks him excitedly, swinging their entwined hands slightly, bouncing on the balls of her feet with an enthusiastic grin on her face. He hates to dampen her mood, he really does, but…

"Maka, Blair is a _cat_, and she's got a job of her own, you really think she'll be too keen on taking care of another living being that_ we_ took on the responsibility of?" Maka practically wilts like a water deprived lily when she realizes he's right. He feels terrible, knows she just wants to do this to make him happy..

"I'll… I'll ask Kid for a week off, alright? He can deal without us for a little while. If you're really okay with it and the apartment manager says yes.. we can get the little guy. But we need to find a good caretaker for when we're not around, okay? That or find it a proper home. It deserves to have that, even if it means it isn't with us." A slow smile creeps onto Maka's face, and it's so infectious, it spreads to his lips as well, and in the background they hear some twerpy kid muttering something about 'getting a room, gawd,' but they don't really give a damn. Maka wraps her arms around Soul's shoulders, up on her tippy toes to press her forehead to his, smiling a goofy grin all the while. As analytical and calculative as Soul may get, he's a big, fluffy, sentimental teddy bear of a boy and she loves seeing that side of him. They can make this work. They've saved enough money to get a proper living space and everything. They can figure out the rest later.

"What do you want to name….Her? Says her name is Marshmallow here…" And Soul snorts, cause Marshmallow? Really? How original.

Then he quickly realizes he hasn't got jack shit for better name ideas. How lame.

"Uhhhh… uhm, Suzy? Shit, I don't know.." He looks especially embarrassed, cheeks pink and hand rubbing at the back of his neck, eyes on his shoes, and how can Maka not think he's adorable?

"Suzy. I like it. Good choice, Soul." She presses her lips to his chastely, and in the background, they hear a collaborative outcry of 'Ughhhh gross!' from the kids in shop, but neither can really find it in themselves to care.


	6. Our Sunday's Best

Note: Okay here we go! I do not own Soul Eater, m&m's, or Bisquick. The song E-pro is written and performed by Beck. I do recommend listening to the song while reading, though it's not necessary. Rated T for cursing and mildly suggestive implications. Beware!

* * *

Meister only classes were actually fairly fun, for Soul at least.

Don't get him wrong, he loves Maka, being around her and talking to her, it's all wonderful and he counts himself as blessed.

But honestly, sometimes having the house to himself feels really, really wonderful. Today, Maka has meister only classes all day, and Blair is off at work. Which means it's time to get out his old mix CD collection, fuzzy socks and pancake batter(with m&ms mixed in cause he's a classy lil shit alright?).

It's about eleven when he drags himself out of bed, clad in only red and black plaid boxers and fuzzy purple socks, silvery hair sticking out in every direction imaginable. He stumbles into the kitchen, mix CD in one hand, other hand scratching lethargically at his abdomen. He pops the CD into their player that sits atop their refrigerator and hits play, automatically nodding to the beat when the song starts, head stuck inside the fridge, searching for their carton of milk.

He hums along to the vocals idly, grabbing the whole milk and vanilla extract, closing the fridge with a hip that pops just in time with the drum beat. He lays all ingredients out on the counter, admiring them in all their glory. M&Ms, milk, butter, vanilla, red food colouring, and last but certainly not least, Bisquick.

Hell yeah.

He grabs a large glass mixing bowl and whisk and gets to work, hips thrusting to the music, and at some point, he just entirely gives up on his cool, starts belting the chorus of 'NA NA, NA NA NA NA NAHHHHHHH' into the whisk, eyes closed and a goofy grin on his face.

Of course, he can't hear the front door when is opens, or his meister's surprisingly light steps, cause he's too busy jamming out to E-pro and making pancakes in the shapes of kishin souls, sliding from one side of the kitchen to the other in his fuzzy socks. He's singing along at the top of his voice when Maka taps him on the shoulder, and he shrieks, almost falling onto his ass.

She said she'd be back at three.

It's definitely not three…

"Shit, Maka! What the hell are you doing here, I though you said, I mean, you told me! Augh! Damnit, damnit, damnit.." He buries his face in his hands, cheeks flaming as he peeks between his fingers and sees his fluffy purple socks. She's caught him doing some really ridiculous stuff, he can admit that, but this…

This takes the cake.

"Why didn't you wait til I got home, Soul?" She's smirking at the incredulous look on his face, popping a spare m&m into her mouth before she kisses him chastely, walking past him to flip his little 'soul-cake' as she affectionately refers to them, before it burns. "Cut me some strawberries, will you?"

"You're.. you can't tell anyone about this Maka."

"I won't if you make me some chocolate strawberry pancakes. Deal?" she asks him, bumping his hip with her own and smiling. A slow grin creeps onto his face, and he nods, turning back to the fridge to retrieve their strawberries, slicing them up quickly with a transformed finger and dropping them into the batter, licking the juice off his blade carefully as she watches slightly dazed from beside him. "Hey Soul, is this the first time you've done this?"

And he freezes.

Shit!

He's caught..

"Uhhhh…"

"Don't. It's okay, I know the answer already. Just… promise to include me from now on..?" she murmurs, and god, how could he say no? It may take a while to get comfortable with it, but if it means more time with his meister, music, and food, why the hell not?

"Yeah. Every Sunday, you and me, this can be our thing," he smiles."But, you need to dress accordingly…." She's about to smack him with her book bag for insinuating she prance about their apartment with him half naked, but he trots into his room before she can, and returns with a pair of bright red fuzzy socks much like his own. He tosses them to her with a grin and turns back to flip her pancake, hips subconsciously still swinging to the music.

After she slips them on, she walks up behind him and slips her arms around his waist, hips matching up to the swing of his own. He can feel her lips curl upward against the back of his neck as she tells him,

"You're a pretty good singer you know."

He blushes darker than his scarlet soul-cakes and she giggles into his skin, holding tighter until she feels him relax once more.

"Thanks Soul."

"For what?"

"For letting me in."

And he just smiles, humming once more and rocking with her. He's never felt so cool in his life.


	7. Pinwheel

Note: I do not own Soul Eater or any of it's characters, nor do I actually know how to tie a tie. Though I do admire the art! This is rated T for very mild language and some suggestive implications.

* * *

Formal wear was a norm for him growing up. A suit and tie every other weekend, hair slicked back and shoes shined so well he could see his own reflection in them. By seven he had perfected a Windsor knot, and at nine he could tie an Eldredge knot better than his father could.

So, it's an understatement to say that it's nearly unbearable for him to stand idly by as Maka tugs at her necktie, pulling on an end to loosen her mangled excuse for a Trinity Knot, tightening it instead and causing her to groan and tug harder in panic.

In two long strides he's right in front of her, knocking her hands away and loosening her self inflicted death trap, flicking her forehead gently when she attempts to take the band of emerald silk back from his hands, and she huffs a little, but lets her hands drop to her sides. She attempts to watch his hands as he expertly loops and tugs, but goes cross eyed and gives up quickly, opting to let her eyes fall closed, tipping her head back and sighing through her nose in an attempt to quell her frustration with herself.

"Goddamn Maka, you really made a mess of this. Didn't your dad ever-"

And he cuts himself off, because she's glaring now, hands curled into tiny, destructive fists, jaw clenched and nostrils flared. He mumbles a little "Sorry", and her shoulders relax. She sighs again, but this time she sounds more tired than anything else.  
"It's okay Soul. My uh.. My mama..She taught me how to do this knot a really long time ago but.. I just can't remember.."

His stomach twists uncomfortably at her confession and his hands stall in their movement, resting gently on either side of her pale silken throat. He can feel her pulse fluttering against his sensitive fingertips, and sees her bottom lip tugged between her teeth as if she's got a secret that she just can't allow herself to tell.

"It's okay, Maka.."

Her eyes are wide and terrified, scared that he just may be right, that maybe she's better off without her mom here, without her little lessons and cold demeanor. Maybe it really is okay that she hasn't seen her mom in years.

Maybe this knot she had been trying so desperately to perfect was just a noose of old memories holding her back from progressing.

Soul watches her expression curiously before he presses his lips to the furrow in her brow, feeling it relax beneath his mouth, smiling against her skin as soon as it does. He presses another kiss to her forehead, then pulls back to eye her tie once more. After a few moments of studying it, he starts reversing the process, silencing Maka's protests with a single "Trust me".

This time, he ties it in a different manner, a manner which he's absolutely positive is **_way_** cooler than anything her mom could pull off. When he's done, he readjusts her collar and places a tiny kiss on her throat just above the knot, smiling at her flushed cheeks and curled lips. He takes her by the hand and leads her to her dresser mirror.

A giant smile graces her lovely face, and he internally cheers. Hell yeah, he cheered her up!

"Soul, how in the hell, I mean, where did you even? What's it called?"

He chuckles at all her half questions and the awe on her face. Her eyes are so bright, they almost envelope him in their glow. It's so endearing, the way she's seen faeries, and witches, tragedy and miracles, yet still has it in her to be amazed by something as simple as a knot in green striped silk.

"It's called a pinwheel knot. Kinda silly I know, but I uh.. thought it would look nice on you and I was right so.. Ah, I-if you want I can teach you how to do it..?" His cheeks burn when she grins at him and nods excitedly. She scampers out of her room, and before he has a chance to ask just what the hell is up, she's back with a red and black striped tie, dangling it in front of him expectantly.

"You want me to teach you right now? Seriously? We're gonna be late ya know."  
"No we won't, I'm a fast learner and you're great teacher! C'mon, please Soul?" She bats her eyelashes theatrically, lower lip jutted into a pout and hands clasped in plea. She looks like a caricature of her self, and Soul can't help but laugh.

"Fine, dork, but if we're late it's on you!"

"Yeah yeah, no problem, I've got this!"

An hour, several hickeys, a shredded tie and a fit of giggles later, Maka still doesn't know how to tie a pinwheel knot, but she sure knows what absolute joy feels like.

And really, in the end? That's probably one of the most important lessons anyone ever teaches her.


	8. Tweaked

Note: Soul Eater does not belong to me, those rights belong to Atsushi Okubo. This is rated T for language, dark themes, and hinted sexuality.

* * *

It takes a longer time for her to notice than she'd ever care to admit, but when she does, it scares her so badly.

He always angles himself so he can see all exits of a building in his periphery, and how his shoulders are always tense. He wears sunglasses everywhere they go and sets them on the table, which she realizes far too late is a method he uses so he can always see what is behind him.

She has to hand it to him, even in his eternally freaked out state, he's still quite creative and discreet, considering it was a month before she could recognize his little quirks for what they actually were: paranoia running rampant in his mind and soul.

The padlock on their door was what tipped the scale.

"What are you, preparing for the apocalypse? Did you ditch Star again, cause if he breaks down that door one more time I swear to Death I'm gonna do the same damn thing to his skull.."

"Just want to be safe is all. Don't worry about it."

"Soul..?"

"Huh?"

"Are you okay..?"

"Wha-yeah! Fine! Just uhhh. Precautions? Yeah. It's fine, really."

Gritty fingernails drag across the interior walls of his soul and he tries not to wince as the demon cackles gleefully, gathering up metaphorical boards from nowhere and nailing them across the threshold of the black room.

_Come on Soul, hurry up now. Don't let the monsters in to take your girly away, surely you couldn't live with yourself if that were to happen, could you? Oooo and don't forget to lock the windows!_

He rushes into his bedroom, the one that he and Maka have shared for over a year now, locking the window and checking his closet thoroughly before jamming it shut and wedging a chair in front of it. Maka calls for him from his doorway, and he's so startled he accidentally shifts the limb grasping his desk chair into a blade, slicing open the fabric easily. Snowy stuffing pours from it as curses and pleas pour from his mouth, blade shifting back to bone and flesh as he frantically tries to set right something that can't be undone.

"Soul.. resonate with me?" He doesn't realize he's shaking until she places a hand on his shoulder. He squeezes his eyes shut so tightly that he sees those little pinpricks of colours dancing across the insides of his eyelids, trying desperately to reach her soul with his own.

But he can't. The door is locked and boarded up, and that conniving little red-faced shithead is throwing a one man jamboree inside. Soul's head pounds, and he morbidly wonders if Mr. Demon man is tap dancing on his piano in golf shoes. When he turns to look at Maka, she almost looks offended, and suddenly he's so, so very exhausted..

"Maka, he-"

"No. I'm coming in. He can't keep me out of the place i know best. You aren't his to take." There's a tugging in his chest that blooms into a sharp pain, reminiscent of tearing a fingernail off, but far more unpleasant with the unsettling knowledge that the feeling originates in the entirety of his being.

Within, she's ramming her shoulder into the door to the black room repeatedly, shoving, then kicking, then shoving some more. She lets out a frustrated screech when her shoulder starts to ache, nearly jumping out of her skin when a hand grasps hers before she can hurl herself into the door once more.

"Stop it. It won't budge, I've tried. I've tried everything.. it's a place inside my own soul and I can't even fucking reach it myself, you giving yourself whiplash isn't going to change that." He looks so tired, broken, older than any twenty year old boy should, shadows alarmingly pronounced under his dull burgundy eyes. A month now, he's been clawing at that door, trying to escape the darkness that engulfs them, and she didn't fucking know until now.

How dare he.

"Fuck you! You're going to let him win?! You're going to let him take your soul just like that?! Well guess what! Your soul is a part of mine too. Think of it this way, it's like you trying to sell our apartment on your own, you can't because I need to sign the papers too and guess what, Soul! I'm not signing the fucking deed to your soul over to that **_piece of worthless filth."_**

"Maka, stop. I.. I have an idea. The room, it's not actually my whole soul, obviously, since I'm still out here with you. So I may still have some kind of control over it."

"I'm not following, can you open the door or not?"

"I can't. But maybe if we can resonate well enough out here, I can get back some control of the room."

"Okay. We can try, but, Soul..? What has he been saying to you? Cause you've been acting really messed up. I know it's been a while now and I'm so sorry I didn't catch on earlier..Just.. what's he been saying to you?"

"He… He said that if I wasn't careful, someone would come and take you away from me. He told me that if I wasn't always cautious, I'd lose you for sure. And I know how fuckin' stupid it was for me to listen to him but logic wasn't really a concern when I thought I was going to lose everything I care for most in the world.. I was doing so well, you know? I was tuning him out, I could ignore him so easily, but when he said that to me… what if I tuned him out that time and he ended up being right..?"

He seems far too young now, arms crossed protectively across his chest, eyes wide and glossy. She sighs, pulls him to herself and tucks his face into her shoulder, playing with the little baby hairs at the nape of his neck.

"Soul.. do you know how fast I would slice someone who tried to hurt you or me in half?" He can hear the smile in her voice, and he feels so dumb, cause yeah, Maka can probably take care of herself in that kind of situation. But still..

"Hey fuck off, I already said logic wasn't with me!"

"Well that much is obvious."

"Just shut up and kiss me."

"Oh my god, Soul that's so cheesy!"

"Uhhhh for the sake of my soul, please kiss me?"

"Ugh fine. But you owe me hot coco and good sex when we get home you know. C'mere."

It really doesn't take much. His fingers combing through her hair, her fingertips tracing his ribs delicately while she nibbles at his lip gently. Now, he can hear her inside his head again, the only voice there that is ever truly welcome.

_No matter what anyone says, I'm not going anywhere. I swear. Not when I have you to come home to._

She smiles against his mouth as she reaches past him for the doorknob, twisting it with a satisfying series of clicks. She slips her other arm around his waist so he doesn't stumble over the threshold as she jams the door open, boards splintering and giving to her will. They're greeted with a nauseating stench of singed curtains and spilled wine.

The place is a fucking wreck.

And in the center, there is a very confused looking demon, frozen in his place upon the piano.

Soul attempts a step toward him, but Maka is far ahead of him, hands wrapped around that tiny, infuriating imp's throat. His eyes bulge comically, her tendons fluttering beneath her skin as she torments him. His flesh sizzles in her grip, and she smiles sweetly.

"If you ever put my partner through that kind of pain again, ever hurt him the way you did, I will erase you from fucking existence. Do you understand me?"

His tongue lolls out of his mouth, and he nods vigorously, legs kicking at the air and fingers at war with hers to free himself. She tosses him to the side, and he tumbles into the corner in a heap, gasping and poking at his neck to evaluate damage done.

A raspy, enthusiastic little chuckle forces it's way out of him. He points to Soul, but addresses Maka.

"I only ever show him things that already exist in his mind you know. It isn't my fault that your boyfriend is loony toons."

"Alright I think I've had enough of you, bye bye now. Soul, door?" She grasps Oni by his collar and tosses him out of the open door, locking it behind him and smiling triumphantly. That little shit deserves to have to wander aimlessly for a good while. Hopefully he never finds his way back.

When she turns back, Soul is sitting at the piano, toying halfheartedly with the keys of the higher octaves, forehead marked with deep worry lines. Now she sees, the gouges littered across his piano, places where the enamel has been carved out and chipped away. It can't feel good, she's sure of that..

She sits beside him on the bench, running her fingers over the gouges, watching curiously as they mend themselves beneath her touch, making him shiver and groan. He flips down the fall-board, placing his cheek upon it and sighing tiredly. She pushes his bangs back from his face, and his eyes slip closed.

"You know," he mumbles lethargically, "He's right. I am fucked up. He just brings up stuff I try to repress is all. It's my fault, really." He looks so convinced that what he's saying is the truth, it makes her ache.

"No. You're not fucked up. You're normal.. or if you're fucked up then so am I. Just… don't listen to him, okay? Tell me when you're feeling this way so I can help before it gets like this.."

"Yeah.. I will. Promise. Hey Maka?"

"Hmm?"

"Lets go home. I owe you some hot coco, right?"

"Don't forget the good sex!"

"Wouldn't dream of it, love."


	9. Progress

Note: Soul Eater and it's wonderful characters do not belong to me, those rights belong to Atsushi Okubo. This is rated T for language, and some vaguely inappropriate comments/thoughts. This takes place post anime, and was a prompt fill from tumblr. If interested, please enjoy!

* * *

"Train me."

"What?"

"You heard me Soul, you're the best weapon I know, not to mention my partner and a scythe as well. I need your help with learning how to control this and use it to my advantage during battle. It would be illogical to let this go to waste." Her arms cross over her chest, stance and expression screaming her determination. Soul knows that even if he says no, she'll figure it out anyway, possibly injuring herself in the process. So really, in the end, she's left him no choice.

"Fine. I'll train you," he grumbles, pinching the bridge of his nose in exasperation. He feels dread well up in his gut. Maka has every right to get stronger. She's an incredible being, a force of fucking nature and she has all his respect. It's just…

He's her weapon.

If she's a weapon as well as a meister.. and she can wield herself, then..

He shakes the thoughts away, disguising the action by pretending to shake his bed hair into something more acceptable. When he looks at her, she's grinning, hopping from foot to foot excitedly, and while he may be less than pleased with the present situation, he has to admit she looks pretty fuckin' cute. But, being ever so smooth, what he tells her instead is,

"You look like you really need to piss, are you alright?"

In .05 seconds he's doubled over, clutching his stomach where she has her fist lodged and coughing like he smokes three packs a day. She's got a hand on his shoulder, patting in a comforting manner, at odds with her smug grin and fist in his abdomen.

"I feel much better now, thanks. Now let's go train!" And she's off, dragging his hunched over figure beside her, clutching one of his hands in hers, taking no notice of the way he stumbles the first ten feet to their destination. She slows her pace just a bit, and he rights himself, still grumbling and rubbing at his sore stomach. He can tell she held back. A LOT. But shit, for such a tiny girl she sure packs a punch.

He guesses he should have been well aware of that, ya know, after seeing her beat the god of chaos with a sock to the jaw, but he can be an idiot sometimes…

The training fields are really just a thick forest with a few large clearings interspersed within. Nobody is ever really there on Sundays, which Soul is pretty damn happy about.

Maka picks a wide clearing with a few thick trees right along it's border. She tugs him to the center and lets go of his hand, turns to face him, staring at him expectantly.

"What?"

"What do you mean,'what?'? Teach me something!"

"Jeez Maka, chill. Alright, so.. basic. Transform your right arm for me."

"R-right."

She scrunches up her face in concentration, arm spread out to the side of her, fists clenched. She stays that way for about half a minute before wilting, huffing in aggravation and staring angrily at her feet. Soul feels for her. It was months before he could properly transform a limb without causing himself a great deal of irritation and grief.

"Maka…"

"I'm a fucking failure." The words hit him harder than her fist had earlier, and it takes a lot to keep from stumbling. The fact that trying once and not succeeding makes her feel like an outright failure is alarming. She's usually the most determined person he knows, she never gives up, not for cracked ribs or third degree burns, and especially not for one unsuccessful attempt at transformation. He needs to give her his full support on this, no matter how much it hurts.

So, all his nagging feelings of inadequacy, and his aching wounded pride, and the all encompassing feeling of uselessness, he takes them all and shoves them into the deepest recesses of his soul. He doesn't need any of that popping up and distracting her when they try this.

"Here." He offers an outstretched hand, and she eyes it curiously, looking at him questioningly but grasping his hand all the same. "It's uh.. easier for me to transform when we resonate. So, if you wanna try that first we can. Just really focus on the idea of it, you know? Like your flesh warping into a blade. I dunno how to explain it really but maybe it'll help. Want to try again?"

He offers her a small reassuring smile, and she nods. Tightening her grip on his hand, she closes her eyes once more and lets the tendrils of her soul spider out and latch onto his, a casual, comfortable resonance. It isn't the kind they'd use in battle, not by a long shot, but the strength of their bond is still substantial enough for him to catch her distress leaking through. He calms himself as much as possible, stroking the back of her hand with his thumb. A little flutter of confusion and pleasure creeps through their connection, but it's gone as soon as it was noticed, replaced with determination and images of flesh melded with demon steel.

A blinding flash, and she tears her left hand away from his with a delighted gasp, stroking the flat of the emerald blade that resides where her right arm once did, a look of wonderment on her face. A bittersweet smile twists Soul's lips, but when she turns her eyes on him, he grins.

"You're a natural," He tells her, and tries not to cringe. Only a matter of time now..

He has her practice until she can fully transform, isolate her transformations to specific body parts, and blunt her blade for sparring practice.

"God, that get's really tiring after a while.."

"Yeah, no shit Maka," he chuckles, sort of morbidly glad for the fact that she's getting a little bit of a taste of what life as a weapon is like. He really, _really_ hopes that it's unpleasant enough for her to quit, as terrible as it sounds. Yes, he wants her to know how to control it. But she's his _**meister, **_ and he her weapon. Pardon him for being a teensy bit uneasy, but it's been a while since he's last felt useless and he sure as hell isn't looking forward to it.

"How about a fight?" she asks enthusiastically, and his insides twist uncomfortably at the thought of turning on Maka, even in a mock spar with blunted blades and light hearts.

But he agreed to train her, and that's exactly what he'll do, because this is what his meister wants, and just who the hell is he to refuse her this right?

So they face each other in the middle of their clearing, stances wide and sturdy, right arms shifted to crude emerald and crimson demon steel. Soul crosses his blade in front of him protectively, Maka mirroring the action, crouching low, then bounding toward him, blade raised. Soul smacks her in the side with the flat of his blade and dodges. He may not want to be useless to Maka, but he sure doesn't want her to get herself killed on her own either. It's his job to protect her, even long after she has no use for him anymore..

"You can't just come barreling in like a wild woman Maka. If this were a real battle, you would have been sliced in half. This isn't a game so don't fucking play it like one. Try again." She growls audibly, her jaw clenching in frustration. She starts circling around him, dancing from one direction to another, quick but not quick enough to distract him, and when she goes in to strike his torso, he's got a blade to her throat already.

It's physically harmless, but psychologically it flips a switch inside her.

Before he's even sure of what exactly has happened, she's got him pinned to the forest floor, knees on his shoulders and blade pressing into his adam's apple. She does not smile for her victory.

"Excellent. You don't need my help anymore Maka." She hears the bitter twinge in the words all too clearly.

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean Soul?" Her blade shifts to flesh, her hand resting on his throat gently, thumb tracing his jugular vein. She watches as the blood pumps through it faster and faster, pupils blown wide and interested. He closes his eyes tightly, because even after all they've been through together, he still does not posses the courage it takes to look her in the eye as he shows her his fear.

"It means exactly what I said," he pushes from between clenched teeth. "You're all that you need to succeed Maka. Be proud of that."

She's too dumbstruck to stop him as he gets out from under her, standing to brush himself off and turning to walk away. He's halfway across the clearing by the time she gathers her wits and shouts,

"Stop, you idiot!" And just as she commanded, his steps falter and cease. He tips his head toward her slightly over a shoulder, ear out for her but eyes elsewhere. She seriously can't believe him. The fucking nerve.

"You don't honestly think that you can just walk away, do you? After all that we've gone through together, how much stronger we've become, how many things we've shared, you seriously think I'm just going to let you bail? Just like that? Get over here right now or so help me Death I will chop you into next week!"

She isn't really expecting for him to get angry..

He's in her face before she knows it, eyes wild and body tense.

"Why was it so fucking important that you train, huh Maka? You already have a weapon so what's the fucking deal? If I'm not strong enough, tell me and I'll get stronger! If I'm not polite enough, I'll go take some goddamn etiquette classes if that's what you want! Why do you need to be a weapon if I already exist? Why the **fuck **do you want to be a human shield?! That's my job! I like my job! It makes me feel useful, like maybe there's a reason why I exist and then you just go and throw a wrench in the gears, like you training to be a weapon is no big deal. Well It's a big deal okay? Just…" his steam running out, he mumbles," ..Why?"

It's a long time before she answers, and he's ready to just go crawl under a rock and try to forget, but then she tells him.

"That last battle.. the one with Asura.. I watched as all the people I cared about got beaten half to death. You.. you took the hit for me. And then I was alone… I'd never been more terrified in my entire life. I couldn't do anything to help, couldn't protect you if I tried.. I thought all of us were going to die. I thought that I would have to _watch_ you die, Soul. The only reason we won was because of something I couldn't even control at that point.. So.. if I can control this.. if I can fight on my own, then I can protect my weapon. I can protect you even if you're hurt.. _That's _why this is so important. I need to get better at this so I _don't_ lose you.."

And he feels like such an fucking idiot.

Because her reasons for wanting to get stronger are exactly the same as his own, and he couldn't see it because he was hindered by his insecurities. How lame..

"I.. shit. I'm sorry.. for being such a jackass about this.. I mean.. I don't want you to get hurt protecting me…So leave the human shield thing up to me, okay?… I really should have known you'd have such a noble reason for this, ya nerd.. Thanks. You know you're the best meister a guy could ever ask for, right?" He smiles softly at the gentle blush that creeps across her cheeks and nose, grabbing her right hand and squeezing lightly.

"Yeah. I know," she snarks, and he scowls at her a little bit until she continues,

"You're the best partner i could ever dream of."

And she hugs him.

Because while he may be of incredibly strong steel and sharp edges…

He's also just a boy, made of skin that tears and bruised ego, who doesn't know just how wonderful he really is, but she'll do her best to make him understand.

The next time they train, they learn from each other.

Because they are partners, neither superior, always growing as a unit.


	10. As Is

Note: I do not own Soul Eater or any of it's characters, they belong to Atsushi Okubo. This is a prompt fill for a lovely friend of mine from tumblr, and the prompt was 'fantasy', with which i got a bit carried away. This is rated M for crude language and explicit sexual content. If that ain't your cuppa tea, please proceed no further. Otherwise, enjoy!

* * *

It had been so long since she had reverted to her original form. Her skin feels too tight, her clothing too loose in the bust, hips, and thighs. Now, she remembers..remembers why she abandoned this form so long ago. She knew mankind far too well. She understood that ample bosom and wide, childbearing hips were thought to be quite alluring. If she wanted to succeed in this hideous world, she would have to make adjustments. And so she did.

Because adaptation is the very core of her being.

But now, she knows someone for whom she does not feel the need to alter herself.. She knows for a fact that her appearance is not what has kept him around..though there is still one problem..

How do you tell a mere human boy that you're a creature from one of his childhood fairy tail books?

She runs through the speech in her head over and over.'Hey Soul, it's Violet. I mean, I know I look different but I am Violet. Well actually I'm Maka, but you know me as Violet, I'm a shapeshifter.'

There's more but she never makes it all the way through her practice because she's too busy freaking out over the infinite possible outcomes. In several of them she ends up in a standoff, Soul brandishing a crude stake and asking almost clinically, 'This is the right thing to do it with, right? Or is that werewolves?'.

Her face flushes in her hypothetical embarrassment. He may be only human, but he certainly isn't simple minded. Surely he can see past this..

To say he's surprised when she confronts him is a massive understatement. In fact, denial, as it always seems to be, is his first reaction.

"That's really funny. I mean, I've had some people come onto me in some really interesting ways, but this takes the cake for sure."

"Soul I'm not joking."

"Yeah okay. Listen, I don't know who the hell you are, but this is really messed up. I don't know if you're a friend of Violet's or something, and I don't really care. I'm calling her now."

Sinister Kid, her ringtone for Soul, blares from her telephone, and he stares at her wide eyed.

"Soul-"

"What the **_fuck_** is going on. Why are you screwing with me? Why do you have Vi's phone? This isn't funny anymore, where is my girlfriend?! Did you do something to her?!" He's agitated, and he's shouting, his fists clenched like he's ready for a fight..

But mostly, he just looks frightened and lost, and it makes her heart ache, because she knows the feeling all too well…

She screws her eyes shut tightly, focusing on the feeling of her blood pumping through her veins, her cells procreating and dying and repeating the cycle on and on, and she shifts into the woman he knows, ink dipped locks and icy blue eyes. Her clothes feel like they are suffocating her again, and all she wants is to melt into the floorboards, or vaporize into the atmosphere, anything to be relieved of she weight of Soul's scrutiny. She nearly books it out of there when she feels a tear drip from her lashes to her burning cheek.

But she doesn't. She braces herself for the worst, and looks him directly in his wide scarlet eyes, her shoulders square, her soul quivering.

"Tell me something only Vi would know."

"Oh my god Soul. You're so cliche it's not eve-"

"Shut up and do it." She stares him down. Takes a deep breath..

"Fine. Whenever we're alone you hum show tunes under your breath. You're so paranoid from reading 1984 in 10th grade that you won't even get a damn Facebook and you had to wear a retainer at night for years because you used to bloody your tongue while you slept. You still have nightmares about a demon who taunts you in your soul.

When you make love to me, you look me in the eyes when you push inside, and you tell me you've never loved anyone the way you love me.

And I believe you. Every time."

Something happens she isn't expecting.

He smiles.

"Change back."

"What?"

"Change back. Please? I wanna see you… Maka." The way he curls his tongue around her true name sends a shiver up her spine, and she lets go the hold on her practiced form. The dark ink wrings itself from her hair, ringlets flattening out, and freckles skitter across her rosy cheeks, her button nose, her delicate, closed eyelids. She feels her dress loosen, but this time it feels pleasant, like she's being unbound, released from the prison of a lie she had presented as the truth. Her eyes flutter open to observe him. His expression is one of awe.

"Green.."

"What?"

"Your eyes… they're green.. they're so beautiful. You. You're beautiful, Maka." Her heart feels as if it might burst from all the emotion, all the love she has for this man. She's so confused though..

"You.. you don't prefer my other form? It's the one you were attracted to to begin with, I mean, I could understand, it'd perfectly logi-"

"I want your truth. It's what's most beautiful about you, ya know? How you aren't afraid of being honest.. You're an incredible woman.." He steps toward her, hand outstretched to brush a stray lock of hair from her face, and she nuzzles into the touch. She's missed this, his affection, the way he looks at her with such adoration.

But it's different now. He isn't admiring the mask she set forth as her reality.

He pulls her into his arms, face nuzzled into her throat, and whispers against her skin,

"You still smell the same… like vanilla and passion flowers. Absolutely delicious.." He kisses her right beneath her earlobe, and she shivers and giggles, pressing herself closer to him. It feels so familiar, but new in this body. With smaller breasts, she can press the rest of her body closer to his, a revelation that excites her in more ways than one. She winds her fingers into his silvery hair, brings his lips to hers, kissing him softly, cautiously, then smiling against his lips. She just has to ask..

"Did you really think that I kidnapped your girlfriend?" He scoffs, his breath ruffling her hair, and she chuckles into his shoulder. He really did seem worried.. She's not sure if it's endearing or offensive, but she loves him either way.

"I didn't know what the hell was going on, cut me some slack Maka." There it is, her name again, slipping from him so reverently each time, like a prayer. It sets a smoldering fire between her thighs, and she tries to rub them together in as subtle a way as possible. She thinks she's hidden her arousal quite well, but she's quite mistaken.

"Makaaa, you're blushing you know.. You look tense.." He punctuates his statement with a grind of his hips and a nip to her earlobe. She groans, grabs him by the collar of his shirt and pulls him into a searing kiss, sucking his bottom lip between her teeth. He gasps into her mouth, from excitement, or surprise, or pleasure, neither of them are quite sure. What they are both sure of, is their need to get undressed and into a bed immediately.

When they are in his room though, she clams up, stiffening in his embrace. He stops him assault of kisses along her neck immediately, pulling away from her and looking at her flushed, freckled, worried face.

"I'm sorry.. I just.. we've never, I mean, you've never, ah… seen me.. naked, i mean.."

"Ah.. do you want to stop..? I shouldn't have gotten so carried away, I'm sorry-" He tries to untangle himself from her entirely, but she pulls him close to her, secure in her embrace.

"No! I mean, ah, I want to. I want.. I want you inside me."

And he could fucking melt in those smoldering green eyes.

"Hnnngod, fuck, Maka.." His fingers thread into the silky golden hair at the nape of her neck, and he feathers kisses across her cheekbone, his gentle gestures standing in stark contrast to his hard cock. She slips her arms down to the hem of her short, black dress, curling it up, up, up, until it's caught just beneath her slight breasts. Soul sneaks his thumbs between the fabric and her flawless skin, brushing the pads of his digits over her nipples and making her whine as he frees her completely of the burden of clothing. Her arms tuck behind her back, and her briefly admires the way her tits are on perfect display.

Then he has to wonder what it is on her back she's so reluctant to show him..

He cradles her face in his hand, kissing her softly, and whispers,

"Lay down on your stomach."

Her shoulders slump, and her heart drops, but she tiptoes over to the bed and crawls up onto it, settling in on her stomach with her face tucked in her crossed arms, and her legs clamped tightly shut. He's fascinated by what he finds winding over her shoulder blades and along her spine.

Ebony, sharp wings, inked into her skin, flutter and twitch with every heartbeat and emotion swing. They are as alive as she, and beautiful, just like her.

"Incredible.." he murmurs, crawling up beside her to study the design closer. The feathers themselves look as if swallowed in dark cobwebs, and when he leans in to see, his breath on her back makes the ink flutter on her skin. He takes a single finger and drags it down her spine, watching as the feathers spread across the expanse of her back, blooming into this beautiful, breathing art.

Soul kisses her between her shoulder blades, down to the middle of her back, and lower still to the waistband of her panties. He tugs them off slowly, giving her ample time to stop whenever she likes, though her sighs and little gasps would suggest she very much wants him to continue. He kisses the dip of her lower back, drags his tongue up her spine until his lips are at her ear again.

"Face me, please.." She can't deny such a plea. She twists until she is facing him, and he smiles at her, soft and loving. He kisses her, warm and slow, and his hands roam, from the smooth skin of her abdomen, to her perky breasts. His right hand slithers down her stomach to her soft curls, and she spreads her thighs, whining when he presses a finger to her entrance teasingly. She's so incredibly wet, and warm, and gorgeous before him. When he presses a digit into her, she sobs out his name, gripping his shoulder tightly with one hand, clutching his hair in the other. She can't take this anymore, she just want to be one with him, for the first time as she truly is.

"Please, Soul.. make love to _me._" He groans, pulling his hand from her and tasting her essence on his fingers. She still tastes the same as well, so sweet, absolutely exquisite.

He is poised at her entrance, and her eyes slam shut in anticipation, but he grips her chin between a thumb and forefinger, kissing her, tongue tracing her lip sensually. When her eyes flutter open, she's met with deep, dark ruby, and he slips inside her tortuously slow, his gaze never straying from her once.

She won't last long, she knows it. Between the emotional and physical stimulation, her nerves are already alight, tension rising quickly. He fucks her slow and deep, eyes full of his love for her. It's all too much for her, so she wraps her arms and legs around him, tucking her face into the crook of his neck, hips rocking with his every thrust.

She comes with a keening sob, which she tries to muffle by burying her teeth in his shoulder. But Soul isn't there yet, so she lengthens her nails, only a little, and drags them up his back, thrusting her hips into his. He comes with a shuddering gasp, arms shaking so badly.

Maka slowly pushes his arms out from under him, cradling his face against her chest when he collapses. Their skin is damp and they smell of sex, but neither of them could really give a damn.

"So.. Maka, huh?"

"…Yeah.. sorry I lied to you.."

"You didn't. You're still the same person. Your appearance.. your name..though they're both beautiful, they aren't really what matter. It's your soul i fell in love with." He mumbles the words so nonchalantly into her collarbone, as if they were merely stating the weather, or time of day, but it means everything to her.

She knew there was a reason her heart would soar when near him.


End file.
